PocketShip.net

Hey all,

I feel pretty accomplished; I built my mast this past weekend. It actually went pretty smoothly. Biggest problem was dealing with planks that were not quite straight, but I guess that’s the world of woodworking.

Anyway, I’ve been having a bit of trouble putting on the epoxy layers. Do you all do one side side at a time and or try to do all four at once with the spar on a rotisserie? I tried the latter but it didn’t work well for me. Part of the problem I have is my basement is around 60 degrees, and though I do have a heat pad under the epoxy bins, it tends to be a bit thick which makes it hard to get an even coat. I feel like I’m sanding off each layer to get it smooth enough for the next one. My technique has been to brush and then tip. I’m using slow cure. I’d be interested to hear how you all have done this. Is temperature much of a factor?

Sadly the best luck I’ve had so far is a beautiful finish on the bottom of rudder step- about the only place on the boat where the sun don’t shine! I want a good finish on the stuff that will show.

Thanks
Steve

Steve, I roll on epoxy using a foam roller. I find it much easier to control the thickness and even distribution by rolling and tipping. Being so thick, Epoxy doesn’t seem to brush well. Also, 60 degrees is pretty cold for spreading epoxy. Maybe try a space heater. Hope this helps.

I’ve had trouble using a foam roller. It tends to slide, but I’ll give it another shot.

Also, I’ve been reading up and there is a good support for forgoing epoxy and just using varnish. That would certainly seem easier to me.

There appears to be at least 2 schools of thought on varnished spars: 1. epoxy and varnish 2. varnish only. The Woodenboat Forum has discussed it at length. Spars, being up in the air are in a good position to not rot (that's not to say they can't). Also, why would one want something under varnish that turns white if/when the varnish fails? Either way, varnish is a deal with the devil. 8 coats are considered by many to be the minimum over bare wood. Then it's 2 or more coats at least once per season (that's the devil's deal part). That's what I've gleaned from the Woodenboat Forum. I finished my spars with varnish only and actually enjoy varnishing them each spring.

And now I’m reading about Sikkens Marine Cetol. That appeals to me. I am pretty good at building things but I’m not great at finish work. I’m willing to give up perfect shiny for low maintenance and durability. Has anyone on the forum used that on their Pocketship? I used another of their Cetol products on my oak house siding and it has performed well.

I fear that spar finishes may be akin to the dreaded ‘oil thread’ that shows up periodically in vintage motorcycle forums (my forum name ‘Slash2’ refers to the 60’s era BMW /2 series).

I used Sikkens Cetol Marine Teak Finish on my rub rails, toe rails, companionway trim and it works great. I'm not sure why I didn't use it on the spars. It's easy to apply and supposedly lasts longer than varnish. I can't remember if it offers the same UV protection as varnish, but that doesn't matter much if not used over epoxy.

You're right about the unending varnish wars People get loyal to a brand, brush, method, epoxy, no epoxy, and etc.. If there was one best way it would probably be known and agreed upon by now.

Bob (pocketship: Luna, 2017)

Thanks Bob,

Maybe I’ll go the Cetol route so I can add a data point. In the end I’ll still be stuck a bit. If it’s like the house Cetol I can’t use it in the basement due to the VOCs and it’s too cold outside or in the barn. I still have some odds and ends to do , but spring is a ways off.

One of my winter projects is making a gaff rig for the Passagemaker I built last spring. I made the spars several weeks ago and we had a run of warmer weather last week so I was able to put the finish on. I used Cetol Marine (3 coats) followed by 2 coats of Cetol Gloss. While I was doing it I thought I’d make up samples to compare Cetol Marine v. Marine light v. Schooner gloss varnish. I made samples with hem-fir and white oak. The oak is on the right with Cetol marine on top marine light in the middle and Schooner varnish on the bottom. The Cetol has 3 coats with 2 gloss on top. The varnish is 4 coats. I left bands of unfinished wood in between. Please ignore the poor finish quality - this intended to show the color and clarity of the finishes not my poor finishing skills.

Obviously the varnish looks best - clear with just a bit of tint. The Cetol definitely has a bit of opaqueness to it which doesn’t seem to show up as much in the picture. The Light is not too bad. The differences are not as obvious in the hem-fir. I think I will use it on the Pocketship spars. I need to think some more about using it on the oak trim.